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I’ve come to realize that while I love to write, I suck at coming up with prompts for writing from, so, rather than continue what turned into a sporadic at best effort to come up with a new prompt every day, I am going to participate in other writing prompts in addition to offering up the random prompt myself.

This plan will get me writing, which is my addition, and stop my slacking off because rather than stare at this blog trying to think of a new prompt every day, I can just gran one of interest from a pool of prompt sources and participate in writing stuff, which will help my writing improve.

The 30th anniversary edition of On Writing Well proves that there are some writing lessons that are simply timeless. This book has been suggested as one that is a must for any writing bookshelf.

Reviews on this book at Amazon rage the span from one to five stars, with the majority of the ratings being five stars.

Write a scene in which a character enjoys a cup of coffee, or if they are not a coffee drinker, their perspective on coffee and why they dislike drinking it.

What is the flavor of coffee like? How does the addition of sugar, cream or flavoring affect it?

What is the texture? How does it feel in the mouth? How hot is it, or has it cooled? Do they only drink iced coffee?

Is there a particular brand of coffee that they have to get, or a certain coffee shop they prefer to buy their coffee from?

Use your imagination and describe what coffee might taste like in unusual circumstances or settings. I know for me, I can not drink coffee from a Quick Stop store unless I am on a long road trip. And there is some complimentary coffee that is brewed at the place my dad does some physical therapy that tastes heavenly when I am there waiting, but it has an off taste when I try to drink the same coffee anywhere else. Even if I take a cup from the physical therapy place to my house or somewhere – it just does not taste as good as it does sitting in that waiting room area.

We have all encountered a character that has made us feel more of a connection to a story than a simple “entertain me” desire. A character that touched some undefinable point within us that made us stop and think about not only the story or character, but about ourselves.

As writers it is something that we dream of creating, a character that will connect, intimately, with others.

Think of a character that has been more than mere entertainment for you, a character that touched you in an indefinable manner. How did that character manage to connect with you? Why did those traits make you feel a connection? Did it draw you into the story more? How and why? Could you see yourself feeling empathy for that character if it were in a different kind of story? What if it had been a different sex/race/social stature?

Try to pin down exactly what it is that made you feel so passionately about the character.

The best example I can think of for me is the character of Ianto Jones, played by the talented Gareth David-Lloyd in the BBC series Torchwood.

Ianto Jones is introduced to the viewer as an office clerk type. He makes the coffee, makes sure everyone gets where they need to be on time, cleans up not only the workplace, but cleans up the messes that are made as a side effect of the work Torchwood does. And he is all but invisible to those around him unless they need something from him.

I could define myself in pretty much the same manner. My mom knew it, she even got me a sign for my bedroom that reads “Nobody Notices What I Do Until I Don’t Do It.” A small plot spoiler here for those that have not seen the series – but, Ianto pretty much has to do something that could threaten the safety of the world before his associates even really notice him, and even then, things go right back to their overlooking him most of the time.

That is a character that I can empathize with. People just seem to overlook me, ignore me, and walk past without even seeing me unless they need something from me. The moment they need something… then I am the most popular person in the room. And as soon as they have what they want… well… I go back to quietly making the coffee, cleaning up the messes left by others, and taking care of the things that no one else wants to have to take care of.

Ianto Jones was a character that I could seriously, seriously, feel a connection to. Were the character to be a woman I doubt I could have felt the same connection, even though I am a woman myself. There was a quality to Ianto Jones and his timid interactions with his co-workers that struck a chord.

What about you? What character have you felt more than passing interest in and why did that character strike a chord for you? How could you recreate that kind of connection with your own characters?